Comedian and actor Joe Wilkinson, 48, is known for surreal sketches and comedy shows including 8 Out Of 10 Cats Does Countdown and The Cockfields.
For his latest TV project, Joe And Katherine’s Bargain Holidays, he travels the UK and elsewhere in Europe with his fellow comic, a pregnant Katherine Ryan – with hilarious results.
In this weekend’s 60 Seconds, he talks about the risky reality of filming, the ‘naming’ of willies, and the heartbreaking loss of his close friend, the late stand-up legend Sean Lock.
And, he recommends a top value holiday destination that gets the most ‘bang for your buck’ – if you’re ahead of the curve that is.
What’s the idea behind your new series?
Katherine lives quite a glamorous life and I don’t. We’re polar opposites. I took her on some cheap-and-cheerful holidays to say you don’t have to spend a fortune or waste money. I don’t know if she listened.
Is Katherine a good travel buddy?
I’m quite in love with Katherine. I’ve known her for years – she’s brilliant fun, a wonderful travel companion and she has a brilliant outlook on life.
Katherine also looks at spending money to get somewhere quicker as a way of buying time. I get that in theory, but I like not spending money.
Katherine was pregnant while filming, so you had to do all the risky activities…
Yes. I didn’t feel comfortable asking if she was definitely pregnant. I wanted to lift up her shirt to make sure.
It turns out she did have a baby, though. I’m not great with heights and there were a few things they chucked in that weren’t ideal, like parasailing in Bulgaria and climbing up the side of a cliff.
Katherine was drinking ice tea while it happened. I feel it was convenient timing.
Of the places you explored for the show, which were your favourites?
Hard to say. I liked that we did three trips in the UK and three around Europe. It reminded me how lucky we are in the UK.
I love Norfolk and the parts of South Wales and Northern Ireland we went to. I was blown away by what’s on our doorstep – it makes me want to do more on our little isle.
What’s your best tip for travellers to get top value?
Having a production company with you – that helps. It’s really about getting ahead of the curve.
Bulgaria is such a beautiful place but it isn’t seen as such a big holiday destination. In five years’ time, everyone will go there and it won’t be as much bang for your buck. I had such an amazing time there and it was so cheap.
You could get quite fancy places to stay for very little money. That won’t last for ever.
Do you ever treat yourself?
I found a T-shirt I really liked last week. It was £30.
That annoys me, but I bought four of them. I spent £120 on T-shirts that are all the same. I had to have a sit down afterwards – I hated myself.
You co-wrote and starred in TV sitcom The Cockfields, playing Simon opposite Diane Morgan as girlfriend Donna…
I love writing – it’s the bit I enjoy most. Writing The Cockfields with David Earl was a dream come true.
David and I always wanted to write sitcoms, and we got to write something really personal – it was a love letter to our families. You love them to death, they drive you up the wall, but sadly they’re not there forever.
It felt like the perfect thing for us to write about.
You and Sean Lock looked like you had a real connection on 8 Out Of 10 Cats Does Countdown. Were you close?
Sean was my hero and my idol before I met him. It blew my mind that I hit it off with Sean. He was very kind with his support of me. He made everyone better, because you had this standard set that you were never going to reach, because Sean was a one-off and the best comedy brain I was ever around. You had this bar set so high, so it dragged everyone up.
Has it been difficult doing the show since his death in 2021, at 58?
Yes, it’s hard. Sean was unable to do some of the shows for a while… when he passed, it shouldn’t have felt such a shock but it did. I was in the studio when I found out. It was huge.
Is your poem about naming other people’s penises still a favourite moment from the show?
One in five times when I’m in a public loo, someone will say, “You’re not going to name my willy, are you?” That follows me about. That poem is high art.
You ran the Brighton Marathon in 2022. Are you still in peak physical form?
Fair play to anyone who has run a marathon, because it absolutely broke me. I lost six toenails. I’m glad I did it but I crossed the line and the first thing I said to my wife was, “I’m never f***ing doing that again.” I’ve stood by that.
Joe And Katherine’s Bargain Holidays is on Channel 4 now.
MORE : The one ingredient that TV chef Andi Oliver really hates
MORE : Johnny Depp director feels ‘betrayed’ over comments she made about him
MORE : Katherine Ryan: ‘My children are a blessing but they ruined the life I had before’